Jose Berrios 2024 Player Outlook: Stable Yet Unspectacular Mid-Round Starting Pitcher
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jose Berrios isn't the trendiest pick to make in fantasy drafts, but the 29-year-old still has value thanks to the sheer number of innings he's capable of providing. Berrios has made 32 starts in every full season dating back to 2018 and has tossed at least 172 innings every season except for the shortened 2020 campaign. That incredible consistency makes Berrios a bit of an ironman by modern baseball standards, but a decline in production since joining Toronto in 2021 may make fantasy managers pause before drafting the 29-year-old. Specifically, the 2022 season was rough for Berrios; he pitched to career worst marks in ERA (5.23), WHIP (1.42), K-rate (19.8%), and virtually every other statistical category. He bounced back last season, however, as his pitching line of 11 wins, 3.65 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 23.5% K-rate were more in line with his career-norms. Berrios is unlikely to post gaudy strikeout totals, but he should provide better than average ratios while racking up enough innings to make a positive impact in fantasy. How valuable Berrios is depends largely on league size. In shallow formats, Berrios' limited upside doesn't elevate him much higher than replacement-level production available on waivers. However, the deeper the league, the more value Berrios provides as a stabilizer for a fantasy rotation, whose workmanlike production can be had for a pick outside the top-150 overall selections according to average draft position.